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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A. The simplest answer is efficiency.
With our machine-based system, the operator can clear far more snow in
the same amount of time compared to a person(s) with a shovel. The
heated enclosure of the machine allows the operator to work comfortably,
efficiently and effectively, and in turn keeps operating costs down. In
order to shovel a front walk, the operator has to exit the machine which
slows the progress down considerably. Also, some folks prefer the
exercise of clearing the front walk without the hassle and heavy lifting
of clearing the entire sidewalk.
A. We are currently servicing residences
bordering the following streets:
7 Street SW, from Heritage Drive to 75th Avenue; 80 Avenue SW, from 7 Street SW to 5 Street SW; and 5 Street SW, from Heritage Drive to 75th Avenue. If you live outside the service area, please do contact us to request service for your location. If you are on our route, but live just outside our service area, it may be feasible to add you to our route. Unfortunately we are not able to provide service to all areas of Kingsland at this time, as some areas have considerably restricted access due to narrow cul-de-sacs and vehicles parked perpendicular to the curb. Bear in mind that we have limited space available beyond our current route and all service is offered on a first come first served basis. A. No. We use polyurethane cutting edges
on our plow and polyurethane bristles on our brushes This allows us to
clean the sidewalk without damaging the surface. The polyurethane
cutting edge allows the plow blade to float over protrusions on the
sidewalk surface, reduces fuel consumption and helps to reduce plow blade tripping due to
heaved sidewalk slabs and other irregularities in the sidewalk surface.
A. This service was created with
convenience and cost
savings in mind. By charging a low monthly rate, we are able to cover
our hard costs without breaking the bank for our clients. The fixed
monthly cost is also designed to be beneficial for seniors who may
be on a fixed income, as the cost of removal is pre-set and there are no
surprises if Old Man Winter brings his worst.
A. This is due to many factors including
efficiency, geographical proximity and volume. We are located in the
community, and that reduces our overhead costs with respect to
transportation of equipment and personnel. We have also designed this service
with economy in mind, enabling us to accommodate all the
residents of the community, especially those who live on fixed income.
As well, you can rest assured that we will continue to provide reliable service, for the agreed rate and that there are not going to be
any financial surprises with using our service.
A. The city requires that you clear your
sidewalk within 24hrs of any snowfall. We will provide service within
24hrs of the end of snowfall, and also during the storm if conditions
warrant. In heavier events, we will typically plow in the morning and
then again later in the day, in order to keep the sidewalks open for
children walking to school, the mail service and residents. Our clearing
schedule is not pre-set, and we generally prefer to clear the sidewalks
after many of the residents have left for work in the morning. Access
for the machine is better when there are less vehicles lining the
sidewalks. Also, there is less chance of having to interrupt
service in order to pass around a block heater cord that may be run
across the sidewalk. In order to reduce the amount of interaction with
pedestrians, we tend to avoid clearing the sidewalks around the time
that the local schools let out, and our evening service is typically
after dinner, when pedestrian traffic is lowest.
A. The current service limit is 30
services per month which, based on our past experience, is more than
sufficient to ensure that your sidewalk remains clear of snow and that your civic liability to remove any accumulated snow
is fulfilled. A clearing service is defined as a single pass on a single
occasion for each property. We always endeavor to get your sidewalk as
clean as possible, but our service is
focused on removing the bulk of the snow that accumulates on
a City sidewalk and, as such, we may miss a few flakes from time to time.
If you are the type of person who labors over an absolutely spotless
sidewalk, then please consider our service as a helping hand in getting
rid of the majority of the fallen snow for an extremely low price.
A. Currently, we do not offer
ice-management, salting or sanding services. We are working on upgrading
our equipment to offer this service in the near future, and we will
inform you of this service when it becomes available. At the present
time, the property owner / occupant remains responsible for the
application of any sand, salt or ice-melter that may be required.
Snowstar will not replace any salt, sand or ice-melter which may be
applied to the sidewalk and subsequently removed with the accumulated
snow during service. We do however, recommend, the application of ice-melter products as they can
improve the clearing performance when the temperature is not too far
below freezing or when ice accumulates on the sidewalk due to Chinook
melt runoff.
A. According to the City of Calgary
Bylaw 20M88, we may place the snow that is cleared from the sidewalk on
the adjacent boulevard or roadway. Please be aware that the City of
Calgary Bylaw 20M88 specifically prohibits a property owner / occupant
from relocating snow from the remainder of the property onto the adjacent boulevard
or roadway, as per the City of Calgary Bylaw 20M88
(Sec 67.7).
A. Yes we are available to do driveway
clearings; however, these services are provided on a per-push basis and
are not part of our regular sidewalk clearing services. Please
contact us if you wish to inquire about our driveway clearing
services.
A. When it comes to local kids who
are out taking the incentive and clearing snow, we feel that there
is room for everyone and we want to support their initiative. There are
also some who like the exercise and would rather do the front walks
themselves. Since we do not provide front walk clearing, we think that
there is still a viable market for those young entrepreneurs and at the
same time we can have your sidewalk cleared reliably, and for an incredibly low price.
A. Currently, we accept cash, money
order, or personal cheque (made out to Snowstar Inc.). We are hoping to
offer credit card payment options within a week or so, but are still in the
process of setting up the necessary infrastructure. If you would like to
pay with credit card, please mention this when you contact us to
register and we will make arrangements to process these transactions
when we are able. Please be aware that a 3%
surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions to cover our
merchant service costs.
A. You do not have to be the property
owner or resident to engage our services. Having the snow cleared makes
a great gift for parents and friends, and also offers a great incentive
for rental property owners who may be seeking an edge in attracting and
retaining renters.
A. In order to receive service, you must
agree to and accept our terms of service agreement. This agreement clearly states that liability for the property and adjacent City of
Calgary sidewalk remains that of the property owner and/or occupant and
that
Snowstar Inc. is NOT LIABLE for any accidents, slips and
falls, damage or landscape disturbance which may occur as a result of
performance and/or non-performance of service. However, the benefit of
using our services is that snow is cleared from your sidewalk within
24hrs, removing your civic duty to the City to clear that snow, and also
greatly reducing the development of dangerous conditions. It is also of
great benefit to those who may be headed away on
vacation as a maintained sidewalk does not make it quite as obvious that
a house may or may not be occupied. You can enjoy your vacation knowing
that your civic duty is covered and that your home doesn't stand out
while you are away. Also, anyone selling a home in the
Kingsland area should consider our services as a way to show prospective
buyers that a property is well maintained and to get an edge over other
communities in the local area. For rental property owners, our services
provide a way to avoid very costly City of Calgary charges for snow
removal when renters do not clean the sidewalk regularly.
A. We are doing this for many reasons.
Errol, the owner, is a long-term resident of the community who thought
there might be a better way this winter. After more than a decade of
hand-clearing his sidewalk and those of his neighbors, he was tired of
shoveling the sidewalk everyday before and after work. Since he is co-owner of a local
masonry company, he figured that the skid-steer machines that are used for masonry
and landscaping work in the summer would be perfect for clearing narrow
City of Calgary sidewalks in the winter. After a bit of fine-tuning and
experimentation, he discovered that it would be possible to provide
service for the whole street in the same time it used
to take to clear his own sidewalk. From there it just snowballed into
including a good part of the neighborhood
and possibly expanding.
Since starting, feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive and we have undertaken to improve and expand our service to as many local residences as possible. We know the neighborhood, and we also know that there are a lot of older folks who enjoy calling this great place home. We wanted to ensure that we could provide something that worked for everyone, especially for those who are least able to manage the snow that winter brings. We began offering the service pro bono as a means of improving our process and getting a solid understanding of what it costs to provide this service. We hope that you will agree that a small contribution is more than worth not having to go out and shovel your sidewalk in the -30 cold. Oh, and we love chocolate chip cookies!!
If your question is not answered here and you would like any further information, please feel free to contact us by email or by phone during office hours at (403) 640-4440 . |
